2 syllables: dis, persed. Stress on persed.
dis-PURST
/dɪˈspɝst/
dispersed is pronounced dis-PURST (/dɪˈspɝst/). It has two syllables (dis-persed), with the stress on "persed". Dispersed means spread out over a wide area or among many people or things; it can describe distribution, scattering, or dispersion of something. In usage, it can refer to items that are scattered, distributed, or broken apart across space, time, or groups. The term is often used in technical, scientific, or descriptive contexts to indicate a broad, diffuse arrangement rather than a concentrated cluster.
Dispersed means spread out over a wide area or among many people or things; it can describe distribution, scattering, or dispersion of something. In usage, it can refer to items that are scattered, distributed, or broken apart across space, time, or groups. The term is often used in technical, scientific, or descriptive contexts to indicate a broad, diffuse arrangement rather than a concentrated cluster.
- You may default to di-S-PERSED with a weak second syllable; instead, emphasize the second syllable with /ˈspɜː/ to match the standard pronunciation. - The /sp/ cluster is easy to distort; keep it tight and avoid inserting a vowel between s and p. - Watch the final /t/; it should be a voiceless stop, not a voiced d in most dialects; practice crisp release. - In rapid speech, avoid turning into dɪˈspɜːzd by preserving the final /t/ and avoiding a trailing /d/ sound.
"The seeds were dispersed by the wind across the field."
"After the meeting, participants dispersed to various departments to continue their work."
"Light pollution is dispersed unevenly, creating a hazy night sky."
Pronounce as di-SPURST, with primary stress on the second syllable: /dɪˈspɜːst/ (UK/AU) or /dɪˈspɜːrst/ depending on final rhoticity in American speech. The /ɪ/ is a short i in 'dis-', the /ˈsp/ cluster is tight, and the final /st/ is crisp. Think of it as two syllables in fast speech: di-SPERST, with the mouth opening slightly for the stressed vowel and finishing with a capped /t/ this is a clear, non-squeaky ending. If you’re listening to audio, you’ll notice the vowel in the second syllable can be centralized slightly in American English, but the overall rhythm remains strong on the second syllable.
Common errors include saying dis-PERSED with mis-stressed second syllable or pronouncing the final /d/ as a voiced /d/ instead of the voiceless /t/ in certain dialects, leading to dis-PERST or dis-PURST. Some speakers also insert an extra vowel between /sp/ and /ɜː/, producing dis-spir-sed. To correct: keep the /sp/ cluster tight, reduce the middle vowel to a quick schwa or reduced vowel (depending on accent), and end with a crisp /t/ after /s/, avoiding a full /d/ voicing. Practice by isolating the /sp/ sequence and ensuring steady /t/ release.
In US English, you’ll hear /dɪˈspɜːrst/ with a rhotic r and sometimes a slightly longer vowel in the second syllable before the /r/. UK English often renders it /dɪˈspɜːst/ with non-rhotic r and a centralized or monophthongish /ɜː/ in the second syllable. Australian English tends to feature a more centralized vowel in the second syllable and a less pronounced /r/ (non-rhotic in many speakers), so it can sound like /dɪˈspɜːst/ or /dɪˈspɜːst/ with minimal r-coloring. Across all, the final /st/ is crisp; watch for the arch of the tongue before /s/.
The difficulty lies in the consonant cluster /sp/ immediately followed by the alveolar/plosive /t/ and the reduced, unstressed middle vowel. Unmarked vowels and blending can cause you to insert an extra vowel (di-SIS-perst) or misplace the stress, shifting it to the first syllable in rapid speech. The 'sp' cluster also requires precise lip and tongue tension so that the /s/ remains hissy but not overly elongated, while the /p/ and /t/ are released cleanly. Practice helps the mouth lock into a smooth di-SPACE-t rhythm.
In dispersed (past participle/adjective), the ending aligns with a voiceless /t/ sound, as in many English past participles ending in -ed after voiceless consonants. You’ll use a crisp /t/ and not a /d/. In careful speech you may keep a small extra aspiration on the /t/ to emphasize the final boundary, but in connected speech many speakers simply release to /t/ with a short burst. This contrasts with 'dispersed' pronounced with a /d/ in older or regional variants when the following vowel is voiced, which is less common in modern general American or British usage.
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- US: rhotic r is pronounced; second syllable often has /ɜːr/ before r. Maintain clear /ɜː/ quality and a short but audible /r/ in connected speech when applicable. - UK: non-rhotic; the /r/ is not pronounced in coda or before vowels; second syllable uses /ɜː/ with a longer quality; keep the final /st/ crisp. - AU: typically non-rhotic; vowel in second syllable may be centralized; keep /ɜː/ stable and ensure a clean /st/ finish. IPA references: US /dɪˈspɜːrst/; UK /dɪˈspɜːst/; AU /dɪˈspɜːst/.
Dispersed comes from the Latin dispersare, meaning to scatter, disperse. The Latin root dispers- derives from dis- (apart, away) + spar(g)- (to sow, scatter, scatterseed). The form dispersus appeared in Late Latin with the sense of breaking apart or scattering. English borrowed dispersed as a past participle/adjective from French dispersion and Latin roots, with usage solidifying in the 15th–17th centuries as science and geography terms emerged, describing distributions of populations, light, or particles. Over time, dispersed acquired nuance: a process of spreading widely (physical items, ideas, or phenomena) rather than forming a tight cluster. In modern scientific and technical contexts, dispersed remains a technical descriptor for distributions across space or time, as in dispersed particles, dispersed populations, or dispersed systems. First known uses appear in English medical, geographic, and physical science texts, with later expansions into data science and ecology. Today, dispersed is common in both everyday and specialized language, maintaining a clear sense of being spread out rather than collected.
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Words that rhyme with "dispersed"
-sed sounds
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